


The Red Strings of Fate

by NostalgicWitch



Category: Ghost of Tsushima (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Childhood Memories, Coping, Eventual Romance, F/M, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Past Abuse, Survivor Guilt, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:35:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27732403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NostalgicWitch/pseuds/NostalgicWitch
Summary: “Mother?”“Yes, what is it?”“Do you think the Red String of Fate is real?”Or how a memory of Lady Sakai guides Jin in realizing his feelings for Yuna.
Relationships: Jin Sakai/Yuna
Comments: 22
Kudos: 41





	1. The Past

Petals surrounded her, swaying and dancing in the wind, a gentle reminder of spring’s arrival. The change of the season was proving to be good for his mother. He hoped that this time it would be enough, that the warmer weather would heal her completely.

_“Jin.”_

“Y-Yes?”

“Come and join me, please.”

His steps were muffled as he crossed the tatami and approached her seated figure. Though he didn’t like seiza, he knelt down and sat on one of the zabuton cushions beside her. His hands rested on his knees, waiting to be scolded; a samurai was not supposed to hide in the shadows after all. His mother, however, said nothing.

The longer they sat in silence, the more he fidgeted. Resignation was quickly replaced by curiosity: “How did you know I was there? You did not look back once.”

“I did not need to.”

“Why not?”

“I felt your gaze.”

“Really?” He glanced up.

“Yes.”

“What did it feel like?”

“It was full of love.”

“Oh. That makes sense.” He nodded. “I do love you, Mother.”

Without warning, she gathered him up into her arms. She held him dearly and pressed a kiss to the crown of his head. “And I love you, my little warrior.”

They then observed the garden together. It was teeming with so much new life. The multitude of flowers returned vibrancy to the Sakai estate.

His mother began brushing her fingers through his hair. The tender touch lulled him and he found himself snuggling closer. He wanted to stay here forever, with her.

_“Jin.”_

“Hmm?”

“Did you hear my question?”

“No…”

She laughed, the sound soft and musical. “I asked what you did today. You must have been very busy to be so tired already.”

“I…” He paused to yawn. “I did my lessons and practiced some shodō in the morning.”

“I saw some of your work. Your calligraphy has improved quite a bit.”

Her compliment drew him out of his drowsiness. He sat up straighter, prouder. “Thank you.”

“You are welcome.” She continued sorting through the tangles of his hair. “What else did you do?”

“After lunch, I played outside with some of the children from the village.”

“What games did you all play?”

“We played onigokko. I got to be the oni.”

“Oh? I am assuming you were victorious?”

“Yes, I was able to tag everyone out. Even Ryuzo!”

“My, my.” There was amusement in her voice. “How impressive.”

“He ended up getting me back though when it was his turn… Then Yuriko came.”

“Why is that? Did you cause trouble?” She teased lightly.

“No! Of course not, Mother!”

“So what happened?”

“Yuriko just wanted some help gathering herbs and plants. We went to Kurabara Ridge and were there for a couple of hours.”

“That is a long time to be foraging.”

“It went by fast because she told me a story.”

“I see. Yuriko is indeed a fine storyteller. What tale did she spin for you this time?”

“She told me about the Red String of Fate.”

“Ah.”

“Do you know of it?”

“I do but it has been a long time since I have heard it.”

“Would you like me to tell you?” He asked eagerly.

“Please. I would love nothing more.”

He cleared his voice, as Yuriko always did, and started the story. “Once upon a time, a young boy met a wise old man in the village market. The man claimed to be able to see invisible strings that connected people to their true loves.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes. Then the old man revealed that the boy had one of these strings tied to his pinky. It bound him to a nearby girl but the boy didn’t like her. He threw a rock in protest and ran away.”

“Oh my.”

“Many years later, the boy became a young man and was arranged to be married. He noticed during the wedding ceremony that his bride wore a veil. He wondered why she was hiding his face.”

“Why indeed…”

“While their families celebrated their union, the young man pulled his wife over to the side to speak to her. He asked his question and she answered by removing her veil. There, on her brow, was an ugly scar.

The young man became angry. Who dared to hurt her? His wife explained that as a child she had been struck by a rock in the village market. It took a moment but the young man suddenly remembered that fateful day.

Falling onto his knees, the husband begged for her forgiveness. She accepted his apology and they promised to love each other with kindness forevermore…”

His voice trailed off just as the wind picked up. Blossoms scattered, creating a mosaic of swirling colors. The transient chaos was beautiful.

As things started to settle back down, he heard his mother say, “That was a lovely rendition. Yuriko would be very pleased.”

“You think so?”

“I know so.” She hugged him again. “Thank you, my little warrior.”

“You are welcome.” He smiled and basked in her happiness. It filled him with such light and joy. He did not want this to end.

_“Jin.”_

“Mother?”

“Yes, what is it?”

“Do you think the Red String of Fate is real?”

She hummed thoughtfully, considering his question. “I do but I do not think there is just one great love in our lives.”

“What do you mean?”

“Take a look at your hands. How many fingers do you have?”

“Is… Is this a trick question?”

Laughter resonated through her. “No.” Her hands gently scooped up his. With care, as if he were the delicate one, she counted his fingers aloud one by one.

“One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Nine. And…?”

“Ten,” he answered dutifully. “So you think we have ten great loves?”

“Or possibly more. After all, strings are very small, are they not? You could have several on each finger.”

“I guess... but I still do not understand. How can a person have so many loves?”

“Well, love comes in all shapes and sizes.” Her fingers traced the lines etched into his palms. “There is familial love, which is the love we have for our family.”

_“You have a good heart.”_

_“Promise me you'll remain the good man I know.”_

“Then there is platonic love or the love we have for our friends.”

_“Never letting me forget that, are you…?”_

_“The barrel is very roomy. It could hold a heavily armed, heroic samurai.”_

_“It’s a gift. I have my sister… My home, my life.”_

“And, of course, there is romantic love.”

_“Jin.”_

“Those are not the same kind of love though.”

“It is true that these loves are different but they are all equally important.”

“Will they last forever?”

“One can always hope.”

“What does that mean?” He demanded.

“The Red Strings of Fate are not invincible.”

_“... Lend me your hand.”_

_“Tell me what you see…”_

_“... Please, wake up!”_

_"Please…”_

_“Tell them. You are... My heir. My son.”_

“No…” Pushing out of her embrace, he stumbled onto the hardwood panels and yelled, “But that's not fair!”

“What begins must end.”

“I don't want that!”

“I know.”

“I don't want you to die, Mother!”

He doubled over, his fists hitting the floor, and cried. It was wretched and unbecoming but there was no stopping the pain of what was to come.

_“Jin.”_

Through the onslaught of tears, he lifted his head and looked at his mother. The spring light shined down, illuminating her. She was dressed in her favorite golden kimono, which was full of intricate designs and motifs of Tsushima. Her black hair was pinned up in a simple bun with ringlets framing her oval face. Her dark eyes were glassy but a smile completed her serenity.

“My little warrior.” Her hands, thin and frail, helped him up. They then brushed the petals off his shoulders before resting on his heaving chest, over his frantic heart. “Strings may fade, wear, and break but do not be afraid. You will be loved. You will love. And you will be in love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been playing through the Ghost of Tsushima a lot during quarantine and have been loving every moment of it! One of my few grievances with the game, however, is the lack of information about Jin's mother, Lady Sakai. She was mentioned here and there but I feel like she deserved more. She was clearly important to both Jin and his father... 
> 
> Anyways, I ended up writing this while listening to the "Forgotten Song" (the Compose a Haiku theme). The version of the Red String of Fate that Jin (and Yuriko) told was inspired by both the Chinese and Japanese versions of the tale. Lady Sakai's interpretation was something that I came up with though. I should also note the Japanese philosophies of Enso and Mono No Aware are interwoven throughout. 
> 
> I may or may not add to this story later... I have two more chapters in mind but we'll see if they actually pan out.
> 
> Stay safe, healthy, and happy!


	2. The Present

His eyes opened slowly to a soft light. Everything around him was cast in a hazy glow. He tried to focus on something, anything, to ground him in this reality. He soon found it. Perched above him on a beam was a yellow songbird.

It tilted its head before letting out a trill. The tiny creature then flapped its wings, gold against the rot, and flew out of view. He wasn’t alone for long, however, as rapid footsteps approached him.

“Jin!”

"... Yuna..." 

She filled his vision. The candlelight flickered, highlighting her tired appearance. Her layered winter clothes were thin and dirty. Her black hair was tied up but disheveled. There were uncared for scars on her face. The bags under her eyes were heavy but still she looked over him diligently.

“I wasn’t sure you’d wake up this time.”

“Me neither…” Jin coughed.

It was strange but his body was simultaneously heavier and lighter as he tried to sit up. Her strong hands were suddenly there, helping him scoot back so he could lean against the wall. She then gave him some much needed water. It washed away the bitter taste in his mouth.

“The Mongols… They used my own poison against me.”

“Wolfsbane.” She grit her teeth. “No wonder most of what I tried didn’t work…” The epiphany darkened her features.

“Yuna.”

“What?”

“You did your best...” He promised.

She unlocked her jaw but her lips remained firm. Stubborn woman. Before he could call her out on it, she moved the conversation along: “How did they get it?”

“I don’t know… but they learned how to make it themselves.”

“Those bastards must have tested it on the people of Kin.”

Her swear brought back images of broken corpses lying in pools of their own blood. His stomach churned painfully. Jin twisted away from her and began retching. Nothing but saliva and specks of blood and bile came out.

“It’s all right, Jin.” Yuna patted his back. “It’s all right.”

Was it though? This was all his fault. The people he swore to protect were killed by his own creation.

“It’s not your fault.” She began rubbing circles between his shoulder blades. “It’s the Khan’s.”

There was truth in her comfort; her touch steadied him. His dry heaving calmed down after a while. The nausea, however, still lingered. Jin tried swallowing the bulk of it down before turning to her once more.

“You’re right. There’s only one way to end this. Kill Khan Khotun.”

“We will,” Yuna promised. “For Taka and everyone in Tsushima.”

* * *

Thanks to Yuna’s reconnaissance, they knew where the Khan and his army was. The Mongols had taken Port Izumi and were turning it into their stronghold. Jin started coming up with attack plans and contingencies but they were all rejected by her. She used his own health against him. Jin eventually accepted the fact that there was no way to win against her at the moment. So they remained at Fort Jogaku for the time being.

His recovery from the Wolfsbane was slow and tedious. The poison had considerably weakened him. Standing was exhausting. It took a couple of days to rehabilitate his ability to walk. Half a week passed before he could move around without any assistance.

Wielding his tachi was an even harder challenge. Everyday Jin practiced his stances over and over again. He didn’t have any bamboo to strike so instead the burnt wood became his opponent. It was probably for the best though since he didn’t think he had yet regained the necessary strength or stamina.

When not training, he explored the ruins of Fort Jogaku. It was probably first built as an outpost and was later converted into a fort. The small fort didn’t stand a chance against the Mongol army. Everything was decimated and it was all his-

“Jin.”

He looked up to see Yuna walking over; she had such a knack for finding him. Her wary eyes took him in, no doubt looking for signs of strain. Not wanting for her to worry, Jin straightened his posture.

“Yuna.” He inclined his head. “Any word from Kenji?”

“Not yet but he’ll pull through. He always does.”

Somehow, despite the war, the thieves and swindlers of Tsushima still had a viable communication network. Their resourcefulness was amazing.

“What about Jogaku Temple? Did you manage to scout it?”

“Yeah.”

“And?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

“Why not now?”

“‘Cause I’m hungry,” she shrugged. “And you need to eat as well.”

Keeping food down was still difficult. He tried, for the most part, to have his meals when Yuna wasn’t around. Jin hated being sick in front of her.

As if sensing his thoughts, she grabbed his forearm and started dragging him inside. “Come on.” Her voice was resolute. “Watered down rice porridge will be good for both of us.”

* * *

Sleep wasn’t something Yuna needed much of so she always took the lookout. He didn’t argue with her at first but now more than a week into his recovery, he decided to try his case.

“Let me take the lookout tonight.”

“No.”

“You’re running yourself ragged.”

“That’s rich coming from you,” she retorted.

“You can’t keep this up.”

“Watch me.”

“I do.”

That got her attention; she stopped tending her bow and looked up. The argument brought back much needed color into Yuna’s tan features. Her dark eyes shined and her lips were pursed.

Jin grinned at her reaction. Riling her up was something he enjoyed. Anger refined her.

That being said, he knew better than to push his luck. The last thing he wanted to do was actually enact her fury. So he backed down, holding his hands up in surrender.

“You’re right, Yuna.”

“I’m always right,” she corrected.

“Yes, I know.”

“But?” Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

“But nothing.”

“You’re full of such shit, Jin.” Her laughter was bright against the darkness. He could listen to it forever; he found himself wishing for the opportunity to do so. 

* * *

“I hate winter.”

Yuna’s comment, while unprompted, made sense. A blizzard was passing through Kamiagata at the moment. They sheltered in place, the fire pit sitting between them.

“So do I.”

The flame quivered as an especially fierce gust blew through their makeshift base camp. He tried his best to shield the pit with his body. If the fire went out, they would be in trouble.

“It reminds me of my childhood in Yarikawa.”

“Oh?”

She threw a stick into the small fire. “When the cold got too unbearable, Taka and I were forced to stay inside the shack that was our home. We were trapped there with our mother. It brought out the worst in her.”

He tensed up, his fingers digging into the dirt floor. Rage filled him but Jin remained silent and attentive.

“Instead of buying firewood or rice, she used what little money Taka and I had scrounged up on alcohol, the selfish bitch.”

A deep scowl carved into her features. She glared at their dwindling source of heat.

“And as the temperature dropped further and further, she drank more and more, chasing after the illusion of warmth. All it really did was make her more violent. Her fists turned red as our skins became black and blue.”

He hated the season even more now.

* * *

As his health improved, nightmares began to plague him. Volatile images. Horrific sounds. Rancid smells. Putrid tastes. Wretched touches.

He woke up thrashing. Violently shoving off the threadbare futon, he grabbed for his tachi. Jin hacked at the remnants of the terror until he was absolutely sure that he was alone.

Sighing, he took his time and pulled himself back together. He sheathed his tachi, slid open the shoji, and stepped outside. Snowflakes greeted him.

Exhaustion led him to drop down onto the crumbling steps. Jin stood the scabbard of his tachi in front of him and rested his forehead on its hilt.

A night terror. It was just a night terror. Nothing more.

But death was always there. It never left.

_“Jin… Lend me your hand.”_

_“Tell me what you see… Lord Sakai.”_

_“Lord Sakai… Lord Sakai! Please, wake up!”_

_“Jin. Please…”_

Family. Friends. Comrades. Enemies.

They all died.

Everyone died.

“Curtain of the world has fallen…”

Eyes bleary, Jin glanced around, trying to determine whether or not his mind was torturing him again. It certainly wouldn’t be the first time he hallucinated.

“The time has come…”

No. The singing was real. He was sure of it.

The song was coming from the lookout tower. It was Yuna; he didn’t know she was musical. Her low voice rasped and lilted between the notes.

“Warriors suddenly never return…”

It was a haunting rendition of a song he had never heard of before.

“Say it to you who has been foraged in battles…”

Jin wiped away his tears and listened to her hymn reverently.

“You are here to save our homeland…”

Solemn determination stirred inside of him.

“Shatter them… Take back our land…”

It was a call of arms.

“Oh you who have been resurrected…”

For Tsushima.

“You who have been resurrected…”

For him.

* * *

The fresh snow glistened and made tracking their prey a far easier task. Though physically apart, they moved in unison, flanking the wild boars. There were three of them in total. They were in the middle of searching for their own meal.

The boars suddenly halted and sniffed the air. Jin held up his fist. Had they been caught?

The head boar grunted and dismissed the concerns of the others. They then continued their trudge through the snow.

Exchanging looks with Yuna, they moved forward with their pursuit. The journey came to an end a few minutes later as the boars found what they were looking for: a frozen deer. As they began devouring the remains, Yuna joined him in some underbrush.

“Do you have a clear shot?” Jin mumbled.

She simply raised her bow and notched an arrow. She inhaled and exhaled deeply, her lips brushing against the taut bowstring. It was a mesmerizing sight.

Then the arrow went flying. It tore through flesh and the creature screamed. Its last breath was wasted, however, as Yuna fired two more arrows, killing the others.

“Does that answer your question?”

She stood up and offered a hand down to him. He happily accepted it. “Yes.” The touch was brief but he savored the warmth.

They made their way over to the lifeless bodies. Yuna retrieved her arrows so he could start skinning their bounty. As his knife cut through the first boar, he heard her ask, “Do you remember your first kill?”

“Animal or human?”

“Human.”

“I was thirteen and hunting a bear with my uncle. It was the first hunt I got to lead. The massive beast was stubborn and refused to go down without a fight. Much like somebody else I know…”

She rolled her eyes. “Hilarious.”

Jin smirked before returning to his story: “The bear ultimately fled with a fatal wound and we followed its trail of blood. We tracked it to its final resting spot only to be ambushed by an assassin: a ronin who survived the Yarikawa Rebellion. He attacked my uncle and I drew my sword, ready to strike him down.”

“Always so protective aren’t you?” she complimented.

“My uncle didn’t see it that way.”

“Of course not.”

“He reprimanded me and told me to control my emotions as we weren’t criminals. We were samurai. We had to remain true to the code and act with an honor.”

“What fucking bullshit.”

Her brutal honesty made him snort. “Yes but I believed it at the time.” His demeanor then hardened. “And so I did as he ordered. I executed the assassin in cold blood.”

His cuts were just as precise now. He easily removed the fur and started on the muscles. The knife followed the sinews seamlessly.

“What about you, Yuna?”

“Animal or human?” She mimicked him.

“Animal.”

His request threw her off but she recovered swiftly. “I was seven.”

“Seven?” His heart faltered. That was how old he was when his mother passed. So while he helplessly watched death, she was forced to actively engage with it. “That’s quite young.”

“I guess.”

“What was it?”

“A damn fish. I stood in the Yarikawa canal for hours.”

“You caught it with your bare hands?”

“Yeah. Had to smash its head in with a rock.”

There was no pride or remorse in her statement. It was just a matter of fact. Survival always came first for her.

“Jin.” She frowned at him. 

“Hmm?”

“You’re staring.”

“So I am.” There was nothing wrong with admiring her; he wasn’t going to apologize for it. She was a remarkable person. Brave, compassionate, and loyal despite the cruelty of the world. He liked her strength. He liked her. “What of it?”

She shook her head at his brazen answer and scoffed, “Cocky bastard. If you cut off one of your fingers, I’m not sewing it back on.”

”I certainly don’t want that to happen. Can’t afford to lose any more strings after all...”

”Strings? I said fingers, Jin, not strings.”

“Yes, I know,” he chuckled to himself.

* * *

He tried to hide his apprehension about visiting the stables but Yuna picked up on it. Her dark eyes never missed anything. She saw everything.

“You never told me what happened to Nobu.”

His chest constricted. Jin took a shallow breath before answering: “When I escaped Shimura Castle, the guards fired on us… Nobu was wounded but he pressed on as we couldn’t stop… He got us as far as the Endless Forest before he bled out and died.”

“I’m sorry.”

“As am I.”

They reached the stable and Yuna went straight towards her horse, Sora. The dapple steed whinnied excitedly at her and gave her horse kisses. The affection was heartwarming but it was also bittersweet for him to see their close bond.

“Jin?”

“Yes?”

Though her back was to him, he heard her whisper: “Were you able to bury him?”

“I was,” he confirmed.

“Good.”

She then led Sora over to him. He shifted from one foot to the other, unsure what she wanted him to do. Her horse, however, seemed to understand her intentions.

Sora stuck his nose out and waited. Jin took a deeper breath and slowly extended his hand out. The horse recognized his scent and began nickering softly; it sounded just like Nobu’s.

His eyes watered as Sora gently nuzzled his palm. The gesture was soothing. Solace soon washed over him; this was what Yuna wanted for him. She was too good to him.

“Thank you.”

* * *

After two weeks (three if the week he was unconscious counted), Jin finally persuaded Yuna that it was time to leave Fort Jogaku. It had served its purpose well but they needed to resume their fight against the Mongols.

They rode out at midnight. Yuna and Sora led while Jin followed closely behind on a borrowed steed. The faint moonlight limited their vision but he could still make out the frozen devastation around them.

“Are those bodies from Kin?” He demanded.

“I don’t know. The Mongols burned a lot of towns.”

“If only we’d pursued their army, instead of fighting each other…”

Yuna stayed uncharacteristically quiet. Perhaps she didn’t hear him. Just as he was about to repeat himself, she inquired, “Why did you surrender to your uncle back at Shimura Castle? We could have taken on his men.”

“It would have been a blood bath, Yuna. A civil war.”

“Really?”

He nodded his head adamantly. "Yes, really.”

“Well, if we were all still on the same side, why were you so desperate to get me up here?”

“I couldn’t let them take you.”

“Take me? What as a rebel conspirator?”

“Perhaps that would have been the charge but I feared that my uncle would have found a way to use you as a scapegoat. The Shogun will demand the Ghost’s head but he didn’t want me to die. He wanted me to be his son instead, Shimura Jin, but I destroyed that dream."

“Good to know that I was his first choice,” Yuna sneered.

Her lack of bewilderment shamed him. He had tried his best to hide his uncle’s prejudice from her but it was for naught. She was clearly aware of the animosity.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault.”

An icy gale swept across the dark landscape, reminding Jin of the task at hand. They needed to pick up their pace and get to Jogaku Lake as soon as possible. It was absolutely freezing and they would die of hypothermia before getting to fight another Mongol.

“If we kill the Khan and drive the Mongols out of Tsushima… Is there a chance that your uncle will forgive you?”

His response was blunt, “I don’t need his forgiveness.”

“You don’t regret how things are?”

“No. Whatever happens, his forgiveness won’t change who I am now.”

“He probably thinks I corrupted you,” she suggested without any humor.

“I made my own choices,” Jin maintained. “Even knowing what they cost me, I’d make them again. I will protect the people of Tsushima. _All_ of them.” Nobody, not the Mongols, not the Japanese, was going to stand in his way. “Even if the Shogun ends up branding me a traitor.”

As they reached the top of a hill, Yuna suddenly pulled on her reins and Sora reared to a stop. He copied her actions immediately. His hand moved to his tachi as he scanned their surroundings. When he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary, he questioned, “What’s wrong?”

She looked over her shoulder and stared at him. There was some sort of debate going on inside of her. He had no idea why though.

“Yuna? Why are we stopping-“

“Shimura’s a fucking fool for turning against you.”

Her declaration caught him by surprise. Jin sighed, looking away from her piercing gaze. “No, he did what he had to-“ 

“Also I’m glad you’re not Shimura Jin.”

“What?” Startled, he glanced back at her. She still looked serious despite the strange and unexpected comment. He laughed to break the tension. “Oh really?”

“Yeah. I wouldn’t like him. I’d probably hate him actually.”

“And why’s that?”

She shrugged but there was a mischievous spark in her eyes. “He wouldn’t be Sakai Jin.” Then a brief and beautiful grin flashed across Yuna’s face before she spurred Sora forward. They raced down the hill, leaving Jin awestruck. Smiling, he shook his head and quickly followed after the woman he was falling in love with.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that’s the second chapter! 
> 
> Yuna and Jin’s interactions were some of the best parts of the game so I, of course, thad to expand upon them! 
> 
> I wrote much of this chapter while listening to “The Way of the Ghost (ft. Clare Uchima)” on repeat so I had to incorporate the lyrics somehow. I should note that I did change some pronouns in the lyrics so that the song would fit better in the story. As for Japanese philosophies, the one that comes to mind for this chapter is kintsugi. 
> 
> The third and final chapter may take longer to write but we’ll see how it goes! 
> 
> Please continue staying safe, healthy, and happy!


End file.
